


That's What Friends Are For

by Resistance



Category: NASCAR RPF
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-14 19:00:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3422042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resistance/pseuds/Resistance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Denny goes to check up on Kyle in the hospital and gets himself into a mess.</p>
<p>(This just appeared fully formed from my head, I am not responsible.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's What Friends Are For

**Author's Note:**

> This is set on February 20, 2015, in Florida. Kyle was in a bad crash during an Xfinity (formerly Nationwide) Series race in Daytona during which he severely broke his right left and left foot.

Denny stood in the doorway for a long moment just watching them. Kyle’s eyes were closed but his facial expression and posture told him that he probably wasn't asleep. Samantha was looking down at her phone. He was sure she was getting dozens of texts and tweets. He figured Kyle was getting ten times as many, but the phone’s pink case indicated it was clearly her’s. He wondered for a moment about who would reply on Kyle’s phone for him until he remembered that broken leg didn't preclude texting. In fact, he figured Kyle would be doing a lot of texting and tweeting while he was laid up. For guys that were used to being on the move constantly, nothing was worse than being stuck in bed. Except being stuck there alone. 

Ahem.

Samantha’s eyes snapped up to him and she might have even quirked a smile, "Just you or are they all still out there?" 

Denny offered her an honest smile, "We were told we can’t ‘bother’ him again until tomorrow. I snuck in." 

"You bribed a nurse, didn't you?" She asked with a shake of her head that hid a small smile. 

"Who me?" Denny stepped further into the room, looking down to the man in the bed. "How is he?" 

"In and out. When he’s in, he’s groggy and dopey. But he’s alive and he’ll walk again." 

He nodded, "That’s good. Do you think…. I could talk to him alone for a little bit?" 

She looked surprised, "You want to?"

Denny let out a sharp sigh, "I’m still here, aren't I?"

"You are. Be careful, Dennis, he doesn't need this." But all the same, she pushed up from the chair she was sitting in, "I need to find something to drink. There’s a vending machine close by, isn't there?"

"I think I saw one when I came up. Take a right. I don’t know if the guys left already, but if you could tell them what you told me, that’d be great."

"I've been texting. It won’t take me too long to get down to the vending machine and back." She gave him a pointed look. 

"I got it." He didn't move from where he was standing as he watched her walk out the door. After another sigh, he took the chair she had vacated, "I know you’re awake, you can open your eyes now." 

Kyle blinked a few times and smiled slowly, "She’s fierce, huh?"

"For some reason, she likes you." Denny laughed a little, uncomfortable. "You don’t look too bad." 

He gestured down to his legs and gave Denny a mock glare, "You don’t think so?" 

"I meant your face. I saw the wreck. We all saw, that was scary. We told you that before your surgery, but you were doped all to hell, you had no idea we were even there. I think the boss mighta said he loves you, but I’m pretty sure not in a creepy way. A lotta guys came to see you-- well, guys and Danica. I've gotta be politically correct, right?" He rolled his eyes. 

Kyle laughed and then winced, "Don’t make me laugh, it hurts. I have sore ribs and waist and things that go on in here." He gestured vaguely to his lower torso. "And you know what happens when the angry feminists go after you." 

"Hey, even Ricky was on my side on this one and he’s sleeping with her." 

Kyle shook his head, "Ricky’s on everyone’s side, he agrees with anything, that’s why he’s sleeping with her and has hair like that."

Denny laughed, "He’d punch you for that. Hell, she’d punch you for that."

"I was waiting for her to punch you if you touched her arm one more time."

"See, that’s the problem, if she punched me, I couldn't even punch her back, they’d be all over me for hitting a woman, which we know what happens there."

Kyle shot him a glare. 

Denny ducked his head, "Sorry. But y’know, if I hit you--"

"Can we not use me as the example either?" 

"Okay, here, I’ll cheer you up. Imagine that I punched _Kasey_." He paused to glance to Kyle just long enough to see him fight off a grin at the image. "So I do that, and no one cares. I mean I could go between the haulers, beat him up, no one cares. I get fined or something and huge press laughing about it. But I hit Danica, and I get kicked out of NASCAR for the rest of my life and am the biggest villain ever. If she wants to race with us, she’s gotta be one of us, y’know? Right?" He paused again, looking to Kyle for support.

"I’m still picturing you---" Kyle coughed, rubbing a hand over his face, "Yeah, I see what you’re saying. I’m not disagreeing. But, look, don’t punch Danica. My week doesn't need to get worse." 

"I won’t. Sorry. I came here to talk about you. Not me." He hung his head a little, "I’m bad at that." 

"It’s fine. You’re a better distraction than whatever Sam is buying for the baby now. Mini workout gear or something… I don’t know. I stopped listening, I just agree. She went through everything, she’s carrying him, she can buy whatever the hell she wants for him." He closed his eyes, letting his head fall to the side against the pillow. After a moment, he took in a deep breath, opening them again, "Why are you here, Denny?"

"Um, is that a trick question?" He furrowed his brows, "Because you’re my friend? My teammate? Uh, because I haven’t hated you since 2010?" He offered a small smile. 

Kyle looked over to him, "Not even in ‘11? I thought everyone hated me in ‘11." 

Denny shook his head, "You hated yourself enough after that, I didn't have to. You haven’t done anything that bad since then. You haven’t really done anything real bad at all, except to Kasey, which y’know, if you could not….?" 

Kyle rolled his eyes, asking pointedly, "And what does he think of you being here?" 

"He…." Denny bit his bottom lip, talking fast, "Things are complicated with him. But you know, he was mad for you about the barriers and all that. Even he hopes you get better. Anyway, I wasn't really going to talk to him about you, but then people started tweeting about us coming to see you, so I guess he does know. But he didn't say anything. But, I mean, we’re friends, he knows that, so it’s not a big thing, like I’m not hiding anything. It’s cool. We’re cool. Everythin's cool. Friends, yeah."

"Denny, don’t worry. I can’t get outta bed to jump you." He tried to offer a smile but it was weak. 

His cheeks blushing pink, Denny looked anywhere but him, "I didn't mean that. I just-- Kasey thinks you hate him because of me. But I mean obviously….."

"Kasey is right," Kyle stated firmly. 

"Oh. Um. But not because you-- I mean you don’t-- Um." Denny stumbled over his words, torn between glancing at Kyle and looking around the room, fighting off the blush in his cheeks. Finally he managed to ask hopefully, "Are you on pain killers?" 

Kyle laughed a little, wincing, "Yeah, I am. Heavy duty. But I know what I’m saying. This isn't a surprise to you. It can’t be. How long have we known each other, Denny?"

"Uh, a while." Denny offered. He had a funny feeling Kyle knew exactly how long but he didn't want to stop to figure it all out at the moment. He had told Kasey for years that this couldn't be the reason, that there had to be something else. That maybe he missed the 5 or Kasey had gotten into him in a race a while back or something else. Anything other than what Kyle was implying right now. 

"When I met you, you were pining after him. As long as I've known you, you've been pining after him. He never treated you right. Even through everything with Jason, all of that, he didn't treat you right. He doesn't deserve you following after him like you do. Sometimes I like to remind him he’s not all that." 

Denny opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. He thought a moment and then tried so speak again. Still words didn't sort themselves into proper sentences. "But…. you don’t…. I mean you’re just-- I appreciate you, y’know, standing up for me. That’s cool." 

Kyle gave him a wry smile, "Yeah, that's what friends are for." The word hung in the air for a long moment. He glanced up at the clock, "You should get back, you need to sleep. Good luck tomorrow. I'll be rootin' for you."

Denny stood up, twisting his back to stretch, pretending that he didn't notice Kyle's eyes on him the whole time, "Thanks. Good to know someone will be. I wonder how many fans jumped off my bandwagon this week."

Kyle laid back, but kept his eyes on him, "You've got at least three fans. Is Charlie in town for Speedweek?"

"He wouldn't miss it, you know him." Denny smiled. Relationships were always a challenge, but kids were easy, especially kids whose lives revolved around racing. That worked for him, he could do that. He prayed Taylor would grow up to be like Charlie, but with her mother, he had doubts. 

"Good, I have some M&M stashed away for him. I'll get them to him later." He closed his eyes, sighing, "I think I'm gonna fall asleep soon. Tell everyone thanks. I'll do some texting tomorrow."

"I will. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? I'll call and check in." Denny started inching towards the door, hoping that by tomorrow he would know what to say to him. Not quite ready to turn away, he nearly bumped into Samantha. 

Her voice was quiet beside his ear, "You have to decide what you'll do with what you know now," No doubt Kyle was awake, but the words were soft enough that he could pretend he didn't hear them. Denny wished she had pretended the same thing.

Denny nodded, "Take good care of him." He turned away finally and walked out the door. He paused around the first bend in the hallway to lean against the wall, "What a fuckin' mess."


End file.
